A Tale of Two Cities
by Lil Grrl Bleu
Summary: Catherine must weigh the consequences when she makes a large request of the world Below.
1. Chapter 1

Title: A Tale of Two Cities

Author: Mackenzie

Email: .

Genre: Beauty and the Beast

Spoilers: Classic

Disclaimers: All the recognizable ones don't belong to me, I do, however, own Lauren Maxwell; Credits to Dickens for the title.

1/

Joe Maxwell sighed quietly as he sat behind his desk, his head propped against his left hand and his other hand busily scribbling away on a yellow legal pad. To the untrained eye, Maxwell's desk appeared to be the disaster area from a tornado, but the experienced legal eagle knew exactly where each piece of paper was and the contents of said paper.

"All work and no play makes you a very dull man, Joe."

The district attorney looked up and grinned at his colleague and friend, "The same can be said for you too, Radcliffe. What? No hot date tonight?"

Catherine Chandler smiled as she walked further into her boss office and sat down in the visitor's chair, "Nope," she said, "not tonight."

"You know," Joe started as he stood up and walked over to his filing cabinet, "some people may think that this Mr. Wonderful who occupies all of your free time is just a figment of your imagination, since nobody has ever seen him, or even heard his name before."

The woman thought of Vincent briefly and was suddenly filled with a warm happiness, which radiated through her smile, "Trust me, he's far from a figment of my imagination, Joe."

Joe looked up at his friend and smiled as he remained squatted in front of a low drawer, "Come on, Cathy," he said, "it's me. Its Joe. Your old pal. Give a guy a bone here... whats his name?"

Catherine looked at him for a moment. It was the same song and dance the two always did regarding her love life. She took a deep breath and then decided that a first name wouldn't hurt things, "His name is Vincent."

"Vincent?" Joe stood up, file in his hand, "Vincent what?"

"Van Gogh." Catherine grinned.

Maxwell rolled his eyes, "Very funny, Cathy. So what? Is he a doctor? A lawyer? Judge? Politician? Celebrity?"

"None." She smiled at him as she leaned against his door jamb. "I know that you are just trying to look out for me and make sure that I'm okay, Joe, and I love you for it, I really do. But this is one part of my life that I want to keep private."

Joe sighed inwardly and rose his hands up in defeat, "Fine. I give up."

Catherine grinned at him and kissed his cheek, "You always do."

The man opened his mouth for a smart rebuttal when the phone on his desk rang, "This is not over yet, Counselor." Walking over, he picked it up and held the receiver against his chin as he started perusing contents of the file, "Maxwell." Joe's head whipped up as the papers fell out of his arms, "How badly is she hurt?" He closed his eyes as he listened to the other person, "No, no... that's not necessary. I'll be right there, I'm leaving now. Tell her on my way." Quickly hanging up, Maxwell started to grab his coat.

Catherine watched as Joe's demeanor quickly changed. She looked at her friend in concern, "Joe? What is it? What's wrong?"

Joe stopped and looked at her, taking in a deep breath, "Catherine, I, too, have my secrets. One of them is that I have a sister, she's eight years younger than I am. Her name is Lauren. That was Presbyterian Hospital... she was attacked."

"Oh god..." Catherine watched as Joe furiously looked for his car keys. Walking over to her friend, she put a calming hand on his shoulder, "I'll drive you," she offered quietly.

Joe's eyes met hers and he nodded, whispering softly, "Thanks."

Cathy nodded as she left his office to grab her things so they could leave.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Mouse studied the bubbling concoction carefully as he took the dropper and carefully added a drop of a different formula. Within seconds, the liquid bubbled over the beaker with a loud boom which shattered the beaker, followed by a sizzle as it settled on the floor. It only took a moment before Father and Vincent were standing in the doorway.

"Mouse,"Father said as he walked in, "what happened?"

The man regarded Father simply, "Mouse working on experiment," the blonde headed man looked around and then looked at Father sheepishly, "it failed."

Vincent chuckled quietly from the doorway as Father looked around at the massive mess and sighed quietly, "Yes, Mouse, I would say that it did, indeed, fail." He turned his attention back to Mouse, "Are you alright? Did you get hurt?"

Mouse shook his head, grinning, "Mouse okay."

Vincent entered the room and ran a gentle finger down Mouse's cheek, which was smeared with blood, "You are injured," he observed quietly. "It should be looked at. Hard to tell whether it was glass or other debris from the beaker exploding."

Father moved closer to Mouse to have a better look at the injury in question and then let out another sigh, "Come along, Mouse," he said, "lets get you cleaned up. Vincent is right, there could be some glass in there."

Mouse looked around quickly for a moment, "Where's Gulliver?" Ever since his beloved raccoon was found dead a few months prior, Mouse had taken on to loving another creature, a bat. Everybody was horrified when he brought the black winged animal down to the Tunnels, but after a thorough examination by Father, the rodent was deemed harmless.

"Perhaps hes traveling," Vincent quipped quietly. Sensing Mouse's apprehension, he quickly added, "I'll get the children to help find him, and well clean up the mess for you, Mouse. You just go and get taken care of with Father."

Mouse nodded as he went with Father. As the two embarked through the chambers, Vincent could hear Mouse telling Father of his latest experiment and what he had intended on accomplishing with it. Vincent shook his head in amusement as he went out in search of volunteers to help clean up the mess.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"So what exactly was it that you were trying to accomplish, Mouse?" Father asked as he carefully pulled out tiny shards of glass out of Mouse's cheek.

Mouse winced softly in pain and tried to remain still, though it was proving to be a difficult feat, "A perfume," he said, "for Catherine. A gift. For Winterfest."

Father lifted a brow at him in curiosity, "Winterfest? Mouse, its only June. You've got quite a while till Winterfest, I'm afraid."

"Mouse knows," he said, "Mouse wanted it to be perfect so Mouse was practicing. Practice makes perfect, that's what Vincent says. Mouse wanted to be perfect."

Father chuckled quietly as he pulled the final shard of glass from Mouse's cheek. Grabbing the bottle of antiseptic, he pulled the cork stopper out and carefully applied it to Mouse's face, "Well, than might I suggest you and I go through my library. There is bound to be some books that will help you with your quest."

Mouse's face lit up with excitement, "Oh, Father... Mouse would like that."

"Good," the older gentleman said. Placing the stopper back into the bottle, the skilled doctor put a small bandage over the injury. "You keep this bandage on, Mouse, it'll keep your wound clean, and you come and see me twice a day and Ill clean it out for you until it heals, okay?"

The other man nodded and smiled, giving Father a warm hug, "Mouse thanks Father."

Father smiled softly and hugged the other man back lovingly, "Mouse is very welcome."

Smiling, Father watched as Mouse bounded out of the infirmary chamber, wishing he still possessed the limitless energy.


	2. Chapter 2

2/

Catherine pulled up to the front doors of New York's Presbyterian Hospital, looking at her friend, "You go on in, I'm going to park the car and then I'll come and find you."

Joe Maxwell looked at the woman gratefully, "Thank you, Cathy." Leaning forward, he brushed his lips against her cheek before getting out of the car and rushing in. Once he was gone, Catherine circled the parking lot, in search of a spot.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jogging through the hospital, Maxwell came to a stop when he approached an information desk, "Emergency room," he said, panting for breath.

The elderly woman seated behind the desk pulled out a sheet of paper with a printed map and highlighted the route for Joe to take. Thanking her with a smile, he set off on the trek, his mind racing with panic and worry. Once he reached the emergency department, Maxwell walked over to a nurse's station, "I'm Joe Maxwell, my sister, Lauren, is here."

The nurse went over to the computer and punched a few keys, "Last name?"

"Maxwell." Joe responded, slightly annoyed with the question.

Picking up on his annoyance, the nurse gave Joe a sympathetic smile, "I'm sorry if that appeared to be an unnecessary question to you, Mr. Maxwell, but I wasn't sure. Your sister could have had a different last name due to marriage or something."

The district attorney nodded as he took that into consideration and gave her an apologetic smile of his own, "You're right, I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a little worried."

"That's understandable," the nurse responded with a smile as she looked at her computer screen. "It looks like your sister has already been moved to a private room." Grabbing a piece of paper and a pen, she scribbled down the room number and handed it to Joe. "It's on the second floor."

"Private room?" Joe felt his heart pound deep in his chest... If Lauren had been moved to a private room that means that her attack was much more serious than Joe had feared. "Are there any doctors' notes or anything in her file? Something that would indicate what happened?"

The nurse bit her bottom lip and shook her head. This was one of the aspects of her job that she truly hated, not having access to information that would help family members of patients. "I'm sorry, Mr. Maxwell, but there is nothing that indicates what happened in your sister's file. My recommendation would be to speak with her primary doctor who is in charge of her case," quickly glancing at the screen again, she found something she could give him, "That would be Dr. Greg Matthews. He can be of more assistance than I can."

Joe gave the nurse a smile and nodded, "Thanks, I appreciate it." Maxwell glanced at the piece of paper in his hands, at the room number... room 407... knowing that was on the fourth floor, he went over to the main entrance of the hospital and waited as he saw Catherine walking into the doors.

"Hey," she greeted as she went over to him, "how come you aren't with your sister?"

Maxwell looked at his friend, his face was nearly white with worry and fear, "They moved her to a private room, Cathy. It's more serious than I first thought."

Catherine looked at Joe with compassion and sympathy, "Now, Joe, don't automatically assume the worst." She glanced down at the piece of paper with Lauren's room number and gently guided him by the elbow towards the elevators, "She might just have only a few cuts and bruises and they want to keep an eye on them." Walking into the car, she pushed the button to take them to the fourth floor and gave Joe a hug, "Try not to worry."

"Try not to worry," Joe scoffed, "she's my baby sister, Catherine. I don't know what I'm going to say to Ma about this."

"You say nothing at first," the woman said, "until you know just what you are getting into."

Joe sighed as the car came to the desired floor and they stepped off. Catherine spotted a waiting area and then indicated to Joe that that is where she'd be if he needed her. Joe glanced around and found Lauren's room and took a deep breath before he walked in and tried to give his sister an encouraging smile, "Hey, kiddo."

Lauren Maxwell turned her head and looked at her brother. As soon as she heard his greeting, her face began to crumble and dissolve in a mess of tears. "Oh, Joe," she said through her sobs.

Joe immediately ran over to his sister's bedside and sat on the edge of her bed and took her in his arms, cradling her gently, trying to soothe her, whispering softly, "What happened, Lauren?"

"It was a fix-up," she said softly, "my friend, Maureen, assured me that he was a good guy."

Her brother felt his blood go cold in his veins at the thought that his little sister had been possibly date raped. Joe took a deep breath, whispering softly, "Honey, did he rape you?"

Lauren closed her eyes and nodded, whispering softly, "He told me that he'd come back and kill me if I got the police involved." The young woman turned and looked at her brother pleadingly, "Joe, please, you can't get the police involved."

Maxwell sighed deeply, "I hate to break it to you, baby sister, but the police got involved the minute you were admitted. We saw some uniforms wandering around the floor waiting to talk to you." Joe watched as his sister digested the information, "Lauren, who was this creep? You gotta give me his name. We'll nail his ass against the wall, you have my promise. I'll personally prosecute the case myself."

Lauren shook her head rapidly, her dark curls spinning around her face, "No, Joe, I can't, he'll kill me."

"Nobody's gonna touch you," he assured her, "you got my word." Joe sighed as he ran a hand over his face, trying to figure something out, "You can stay with me. I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

His sister sighed deeply, "Joe, you are a workaholic. You can't guarantee something like that."

"Alright, than how about this?" Joe offered. "I have a good friend that I work with. Her name is Cathy Chandler. She's a really good woman, in fact, she drove me here because she didn't want me to drive myself while I was so upset. I'll talk to her. Maybe you can stay with her. She's certainly got the room."

Lauren bit her bottom lip and glanced out the window for a moment and then back at her brother before nodding, "Okay."

"Good." Joe smiled softly and then kissed the top of his sister's head. As he pulled back, he heard footsteps behind him. Standing up, he turned around and saw a doctor.

The doctor smiled as he extended his hand, "I'm Dr. Matthews, and you are...?"

"Joseph Maxwell," Joe offered, "I'm her brother."

Dr. Matthews nodded, "Mr. Maxwell, would you mind if we did another examination of your sister? It won't be long."

Joe nodded and glanced at his sister and then back at the doctor, "When can she come home?"

"We want to keep her overnight," the doctor explained, "but tomorrow she should be able to be discharged."

Joe nodded and smiled, "Okay, thanks." He stepped back over to his sister's bed, "Honey, I'm going to go and talk to Cathy and then run home and grab an overnight bag and be back, okay?"

Lauren nodded and smiled as she gripped her brother's hand, "Thanks."

Maxwell gave his sister a wink as he headed out of her room. Sighing heavily, he glanced around and walked over to where Catherine was seated and sat down next to her, speaking softly, "It was a date rape."

Catherine closed her eyes and then looked at her friend, softly, "I am so sorry, Joe."

"It gets worse," Joe continued, "the animal threatened to kill her if she got the cops involved. She's too scared to stay at my place. She didn't say it, but I think that the attack happened in my neighborhood." Joe looked at her, "Can she stay with you? Just until the son of a bitch is arraigned?"

The woman took a deep breath, "Joe, you know that I will do anything I can to help your sister, but I work as many hours as you do. Lauren wouldn't be any safer with me." Catherine chewed her bottom lip as her mind briefly flashed to Vincent and Father, knowing that the community below could keep her safe until the trial. "Let me talk with Vincent, okay? He may know of somewhere safe that Lauren can stay. Someplace warm surrounded by people who care for her."

Still knowing nothing about Vincent, Joe looked at his friend and searched her eyes, softly, "Do you trust this Vincent character, Cathy? I don't want anymore harm coming to my sister. She's been through enough."

"Joe," Catherine said, taking a breath, "I trust Vincent with my life. If he says she's safe, than she's safe."

Maxwell nodded, "Your word is good enough for me. Thanks."

Catherine smiled softly and nodded as she stood up, "Let me go talk to him. You want me to give you a ride somewhere?"

Joe shook his head and smiled softly as he too stood up. "Nah, I'll grab a cab."

Cathy nodded as she gave her friend a hug and left the hospital.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Vincent sat in Father's library as he contemplated his latest move in their game of chess. Looking at the onyx pieces, he moved his bishop towards Father's rook.

"Mmm," Father said, "good move, son."

Vincent nodded his head once in gratitude, "Whatever moves I know, I learned from the master."

Father chuckled quietly as he made a rebuttal move. Just as Vincent was contemplating another move, Pascal came in with a piece of paper in his hand. "Vincent," he said as he entered the room, handing the paper to the intended recipient, "this just came across the pipes for you. It's from Catherine."

Vincent took the paper and gave the other man a quiet smile, "Thank you, Pascal," he remarked as he unfolded the piece of paper. Scanning the contents, his brow furrowed and then he looked at Father, "She wants to come Below tonight. She said she has something very important that she would like to discuss with the two of us."

Father's brows arched, "With both of us? I wonder what it could be..."

Vincent shook his head, "Her message didn't reveal what the contents of tonight's meeting would be. She just asked if we could meet her here tonight, around nine o'clock."

Father nodded his agreement to the meeting and sat back in his chair, both men curious about what the woman wished to discuss with them.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Catherine stood pacing at one of the many entrances to the tunnels, waiting for Vincent. This particular entrance, the one in Central Park was a favorite of theirs, and had been for quite a while due to its romantic beauty. At five till nine, Catherine checked her watch and let out an anxious sigh. Moments later, she heard Vincent come to the mouth of the entrance.

"Catherine."

The woman spun around and gave Vincent a quiet smile, "I'm glad that you and Father agreed to meet with me tonight."

Vincent closed the gap between them with a stride and pressed his lips to her's. "You know I could never refuse you," he whispered into her hair. Sliding his hand down, it closed around hers and he smiled softly, "Come... Father awaits us." Without further preamble, Vincent led Catherine into the labyrinth of tunnels and soon they found themselves at Father's library.

Catherine gave the older man a warm smile as she descended down the steps towards him, "Father," she said affectionately as she walked over and kissed his cheek and enveloped him in a hug, "You look well."

"Catherine," Father greeted as he too kissed her cheek, "it has indeed been far too long."

Vincent stood from the top of the steps as he watched the love of his life and his father get reacquainted. Moments later, he stepped down into the library and took a seat. "Your message sounded urgent, Catherine, is everything alright?"

Catherine took a seat in an empty chair and waited for Father to sit down as well. Once he was seated, she took a deep breath. She had been trying to figure out how to discuss this particular topic with the two men all afternoon. Finally, she just jumped in, both feet first. "One of my dear friends, who happens to be my boss..."

"Joe," Vincent supplied quietly.

Catherine gave him a soft smile and nodded in affirmation, "Yes, Joe..." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "His younger sister was raped this afternoon. She's now in Presbyterian Hospital. It was a date rape... A friend had set her up on a date with this man and he turned out to be a vicious snake who did not understand the meaning of the word 'no'. Joe is, understandably, very angry about this and he has vowed to hunt down this animal and make him pay through the court system, and I intend on helping him." Catherine paused for a moment, "This is where I need both of your help... Since Joe and I will be very busy preparing for this case, there is no way to assure of Lauren's safety."

"You want Joe's sister to come down Below," Vincent deduced quietly.

Father looked at Vincent in alarm and then at Catherine, "Surely that is not what you are getting at, Catherine."

Catherine nibbled her bottom lip for a moment and then looked at Father, her voice was nearly a plea, "Father, this girl is in danger. The man who did it to her has promised to kill her if she presses charges. I know how secretive and protective you are of the world Below, and I understand that and I guard your secret with my life, every day. Hopefully you know that I would never ask this of you if it weren't important."

Father rose to his feet and slowly began to pace the room, "And what if this girl betrayed our trust? What if her brother betrayed it? I assume that you'll want to give your boss full access to our world as well."

Catherine quickly rose to her feet and walked over to Father, speaking passionately to him, "You have always told me that this was a safe haven. That it was a home for those in pain, in need, who couldn't possibly survive in the world Above. This girl's life is in grave danger, Father. I have known Joe for years, he's one of my dearest friends and a man whom I respect and admire a great deal. He's a mentor to me, Father. I trust him implicitly, as I do Vincent. I know that Joe would take this secret to his grave."

"And the girl?" The older man countered, "Can you say the same of her?"

The woman took a deep breath again, "I admit that I had just met Lauren this afternoon. However she is Joe's baby sister. He's devoted to her and she to him. I feel confident in saying that if Joe asked her, Lauren too would keep the secret. Father, you have to believe me that I would never dream of ever making this request unless I knew that the situation was dire."

Father looked at Catherine and then at Vincent, "What do you think?"

"I think I trust Catherine," he answered quietly, "and I trust her when she give us her word that Joe and Lauren won't say anything. Catherine has never given me any reason to doubt her and she's proven herself loyal to our family. She's risked her life and position for a number of us a great deal of times. I think we owe her this."

The older man sighed heavily as he pondered the situation for a few moments. Pacing the massive collection of books, he finally turned and faced Catherine, "She may stay Below with us, and her brother may come and visit. However, it must be explained to both of them that should they ever break our trust and breathe a word of this, than our entire world comes to an end."

Catherine nodded, quietly, "I'll speak with them. I'll get them to promise."

Father nodded, "Alright," he conceded, "they may come Below."

The woman smiled and nodded and then impulsively gave Father a great hug, kissing his cheek, "Thank you, Father," she said, her voice full of gratitude.

Father nodded and then quietly walked out of the room. As Catherine watched him go, she let out a heavy sigh, "Every time I speak with him, I think I give him more reasons to distrust me."

Vincent frowned as he walked up behind the woman and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders, "He's scared," he said quietly. "The more people that know about this place, the less secure it becomes."

She turned around in his arms and looked at him, her brown eyes searching his amber ones, "Surely you know that what I speak is the truth... That Joe would never violate our trust. He would lose so many things, my friendship and respect for starters."

"Your friendship, and your respect," Vincent said quietly, "should be treasured and protected for the priceless gems that they are."

Catherine smiled quietly as she stood up on her toes and planted a soft kiss on Vincent's lips, "I should go," she said softly. "I need to get in touch with Joe. I think she's being released tomorrow. I'll have Joe explain everything to her."

Vincent nodded quietly, "You be careful, Catherine. The idea that an animal like that--one who gets his thrills for hurting women--is running around this city does not set well with me."

She smiled softly and nodded, "I promise, I'll be careful."

"Do not go anywhere alone," he wisely advised.

"I promise," Catherine repeated. "I do love you so."

Vincent smiled softly as he pulled her into a warm embrace, "And I you." Reluctantly, he let her go, "I should let you go find Joe. I'll ask Mary to prepare a chamber for Lauren."

Catherine smiled at him again and nodded, "Thank you." Leaning in, she gave him a final kiss before departing.


	3. Chapter 3

3/

Joe stared in disgust at the murky black sludge in his Styrofoam cup, surprised that someone had the guts to call the liquid coffee. Sighing deeply, Maxwell stood up and walked over to his sleeping sister's bed. Planting a soft kiss on her temple, he stepped out of her room in search of real food.

Heading towards the vending machines, he was surprised when he saw Catherine walking down the hall. He greeted her with a smile, "Hey you."

Catherine Chandler smiled back at her friend, "Hey yourself. How's Lauren?"

"Sleeping," Maxwell answered as he dropped a few coins into a slot. "What's new?"

Quickly glancing around, Catherine looked at her boss, her voice lowered, "I have a safe place for Lauren to stay until the trial."

Catching her apprehension, Joe quickly pushed a button for a soda and bent over and picked it up, "Come on," he said softly, leading her by the elbow. "We can talk in the chapel."

Chandler walked with Joe towards the chapel, once they were in, both were relieved to find it empty. Taking a seat in an empty pew, she merely gave Joe a quiet smile as he saw him pull the tab on the soda, "I don't think you are allowed to drink in here, Joe."

"What's God gonna do, Cathy?" Joe quipped, "Sue me?"

The two shared a chuckle and Catherine took a deep breath, "The place that I found for Lauren... it has to be kept a secret, Joe."

"I get it," Maxwell said, nodding, "those kind of shelters usually are kept secret."

The woman shook her head, "It isn't a battered woman's' shelter." Catherine took another deep breath, "You are always asking me about Vincent. Well, you and Lauren both are going to meet him, and lot of other really good people. Joe, Vincent doesn't live like you would think he lives... Far below the city streets is a forgotten city of tunnels and chambers, it's even below the subways... A whole community live there, Joe, Vincent included. It's a safe haven for those who are hurt or can't safely live above in the streets of New York. Orphans go there when they can't stand orphanages any longer and the adults below become their parents. It was there that I went when I had my accident, Joe. Vincent found me and took me down below and I healed."

Joe looked at his friend, fascination on his face, "Why can't this guy safely live up here?"

Catherine reached into her purse and pulled out a drawing of Vincent, done by Kipper, a drawing that was startlingly realistic and handed it to Joe, "This is why."

Taking the drawing, Maxwell looked at it and drew a breath, "Wow," he said softly, looking at Catherine, "Cathy, is this guy safe?"

Catherine smiled quietly as she took the drawing back, "Would I be with someone who wasn't, Joe?"

The man sighed deeply, "Good point." Leaning back in the pew, he ran a hand through his hair, "I don't know, Cathy, I don't like the idea of my little sister being in the sewers with rats and other rodents running around."

"But it isn't like that down Below, Joe," Catherine said, feeling the need to defend her second home. "It's beautiful. It's furnished... People who live Above, such as myself, are called Helpers. Helpers bring things down below that allow them to live comfortably. Father, the man who started the community, is a doctor and he really is a father to everybody. He's wonderful. He adopted Vincent when Vincent was a baby. I've already been granted permission for you and Lauren to come down... Lauren can stay there and you can visit anytime you'd like. She'd be safe down there and she'd be welcomed with open arms. I know that everything sounds so foreign to you, Joe, but you have to trust me on this. Lauren would be safer down Below than Above in a shelter. I know that without a shadow of a doubt."

Joe sighed heavily and finally nodded, "Alright," he said. "I trust you... and don't worry, Cathy. Your secret will be safe with us. I'll tell Lauren too. Would you mind if I hung onto that drawing? I want to show it to Lauren, so she won't be alarmed when she sees him."

Catherine chewed her bottom lip for a moment and finally nodded, handing it back to him, "Make sure nobody else sees it."

Her friend nodded as he folded the piece of paper up and slipped it into his inner coat pocket. Giving her a smile, Joe stepped forward and hugged her, "Thank you, Cathy, for everything. I won't be able to repay you."

Catherine smiled as she hugged him back, "Your friendship is more than repayment, Joe."

Stepping back, the man gave her hand a squeeze. "I'm going to go talk to Lauren... why don't you come with me? She needs to meet you anyway." Reaching into his pocket, he handed Catherine back her drawing of Vincent, "You can show her this."

Chandler nodded and smiled softly, "Okay."

Joe lead Catherine around the pentagon-shaped nurse's station towards Lauren's room. Once they were outside, he turned and looked at her, speaking softly, "Let me make sure she's awake and is ready for company."

Cathy nodded as she watched the man walk into his sister's room.

Joe opened the door and stepped inside the room and smiled when he saw the large spray of lilies, "These are nice," he commented as he went over to them.

Lauren smiled at her older brother and nodded, "Tobias and Grace sent them."

Joe nodded, not knowing who Tobias and Grace were. "They're lovely," walking over, he sat down on a stool and looked at her, "Cathy Chandler's outside, Lauren. She's found a place for you, but she needs to tell you about it because there are a few things that you need to be aware of."

The younger woman nodded, quietly, a little unsure of what was to happen, "Okay... sure. Send her in."

Joe nodded and stood up and walked over to the door and invited Catherine in. When she came in, she gave her boss' sister a warm smile, "Hello, Lauren," she said, walking over to the bed, extending her hand, "I'm Catherine."

Lauren smiled softly as she shook Catherine's hand, "Joe speaks highly of you. He's lucky to have you for a friend."

Catherine turned and smiled at the man before turning back to his sister, "I think we're both lucky." Taking a seat, she handed her the small gift bag, "It isn't much, but I thought maybe it might make you feel a little better."

Joe blinked in surprise as he watched Catherine give his sister the gift, not having noticed the gift bag the entire time he was talking to her.

Lauren gave the other woman a polite smile as she moved the tissue paper around and peeked inside, "Bubble bath," she said, pulling out a bottle and then grinning, "and it's from Bath and Body Works."

Catherine grinned, "There's also some lotion, salts and a few other things in there. I thought maybe you'd like a girl moment or two."

Lauren smiled softly as she placed the bottle of bubble bath back in the bag, "I appreciate it, Catherine, thank you so much. That was a very thoughtful thing to do."

Cathy nodded as she sat back in her chair, "I assume that Joe has told you that I have found a place for you until the trial?"

The younger woman nodded, "Yes, but he hasn't said where yet."

Joe quietly cleared his throat, "I didn't know what to say."

Catherine turned and smiled softly at her friend, "Joe, would you mind if I had a moment with your sister, please?"

Maxwell nodded as he breathed a sigh of relief, the estrogen level was entirely too high for his tastes. "Sure," he remarked, "I'm going to just go and hit a few vending machines and get us some snacks and drinks." Eager to leave, he turned and stepped out, leaving Catherine to simply shake her head in amusement.

"Men," she said, with a small grin. "Anytime anything girly is taken out, they start panicking."

Lauren giggled quietly as she nodded in agreement.

"This place," Catherine began, "may sound a little unorthodox to you, Lauren. You may worry and your initial reaction may be to say no immediately, but all that I ask of you is to hear me out and let me tell you about it. Deal?"

The girl nodded, "Okay."

Catherine took a deep breath, "Okay," she said, smiling, a little nervous, but unsure why. "There is somebody in my life whom I love a great deal. I've been with him for a little over three years now and he means more to me than anybody has in a very long time... his name is Vincent. Vincent isn't what you would think of as your typical man. He lives far below the city streets, below even the subways. There's a whole forgotten city down there of tunnels and mazes that are all intertwined," she explained, "there's a community down there. People who you can trust and who will care for you and welcome you with open arms."

Lauren blinked a little in surprise, "Why do they live down there? Why not just live up here?"

Catherine took a deep breath and then pulled out Kipper's drawing of Vincent and handed it to her, "This is Vincent," she said quietly. "I think it's clear to see why he lives his life the way he lives it."

The other woman looked at Catherine a moment and then looked at the drawing and let out a soft gasp, "He's beautiful, yet scary looking."

The attorney gave her a quiet smile at the description, "Believe me when I tell you, Lauren, that he is the most gentle of men ever. All of the men Below are gentle. Father, the man who started the community, is a licensed doctor... His real name is Jacob Wells, but everybody just as such an enormous amount of love, respect and admiration for him, that they call him Father... and it isn't just Father and Vincent down there. There's a community of about thirty to fifty people, men, women, children... Children who were orphans and were tired of waiting to be adopted and who went down Below. It's a sanctuary, Lauren. Father and Vincent teach the children so they are educated."

Lauren smiled softly, "It's cool that people call him Father."

Catherine smiled wider, "It's very cool," she agreed. Slipping the drawing back in her purse, Catherine continued, "Lauren, it's very important that you keep this place a secret. I can't begin to tell you how many people depend on this. If word gets out than Vincent..." she stopped herself as she felt the tears well up in her eyes, speaking quietly, "the man I love will be killed, or he'll be made to wish he were dead."

The girl nodded, "You have my word, Miss Chandler, I promise," Lauren paused, "Can Joe visit me?"

"Of course," Catherine said, before adding, "and call me Cathy."

Lauren smiled and nodded, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," the other woman said with a smile. "I'm going to go and get Joe now, okay?"

Lauren nodded again as she watched Catherine leave.

Sighing heavily, Cathy ran a hand through her hair as she walked down the hall and found Joe browsing the front page of the Times, "Joe? She's ready."

Maxwell dropped the newspaper and walked over to his friend, "She knows everything?"

Catherine nodded, "She does. I showed her the drawing and she's agreed to keep everything a secret."

"Good," Joe said with a soft smile, "Catherine, I can't thank you enough."

"Thank me when this animal is put behind bars," she responded.

"We just need to get his name,"

Catherine looked at him, surprised, "Lauren hasn't given you his name?"

Joe sighed, "Every time I try to get it, the minute she starts talking about it, she gets upset."

The woman nodded in sympathy, "Don't press her, Joe. Let her come around to it. There is no expiration date on how long she can stay Below."

Maxwell nodded, "That's good to know."

"Why don't you give me a key to her apartment and tell me where it is," Catherine began, "and I'll go over there and get her some clothes, personal affects and a few things to make her comfortable."

Joe reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. Thumbing through them on the ring, he found the right one and removed it and handed it to Catherine, "She lives in the East Hudson complex, apartment 4G."

She nodded and smiled, "I'll bring an outfit for her to change into tomorrow and take the rest down Below."

Joe nodded, still a little apprehensive about this whole 'going down Below' experience, "That sounds great, Cathy, thanks."

Smiling some more, Catherine Chandler turned and left, leaving Joe alone with his thoughts.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Alright now, let's get some more candles in here, please. I want this room as illuminated as we can," Mary explained, "this poor girl is used to sunlight all the time."

The children quickly went in search of some more candles. As they left the guest chamber, they nearly collided with Father. Father greeted them all and then came up behind Mary, "Mary," he said as he surveyed the room, "this is exquisite."

Mary smiled quietly as she walked in and fluffed a few pillows, "Well, it certainly isn't home," she said, "but I think the children have done a lovely job."

Jacob came into the room and slipped an arm around the woman's waist, "You don't give yourself the credit that you deserve, Mary," he said softly, "the children, while an immense help, only gathered what you asked for... You assembled the room. Joe's sister shall be very comfortable."

The older woman turned and looked at him, giving him a soft smile, "You surprise me, Jacob," she said, "you were so adamant about Vincent bringing Catherine down here. If memory serves me, you two had a very loud argument over it, yet you didn't seem so upset when Catherine asked if her boss and his sister may be exposed to our world."

The doctor sighed quietly as he went over and sat down in a chair, propping his cane up against a nearby table, "Perhaps I've mellowed some in my advanced years, Mary. Does it concern me that two more people will know about this? Very much. However, Vincent trusts Catherine... My God, he loves that woman more than he's ever loved another person in his entire life. His trust and faith in her are good enough for me. Besides, my son brought up a good point... Catherine has invested a great deal of her time and herself to us, she has never shied away when we needed assistance. She's one of the first people here, sleeves rolled up, asking what she can do to help where there's trouble. Look at what she did when Vincent and I were trapped in the Maze. She got everybody to break the silence and allow Mouse to help. If it had not been for Mouse and his explosives, than Vincent and I would surely be dead."

Mary looked down at her hands rested in her lap, keeping her eyes focused on them as she quietly spoke, "I was so frightened that you were dead, Jacob," she admitted. Lifting her head up, she looked at him, her eyes glassy with unshed tears, "I don't know how I would go on if you were to die."

Jacob looked at her thoughtfully as he pushed himself out of the chair. Grabbing his cane, he made his way over to her and took her hands in his and kissed them tenderly, "Mary," he whispered, "we can't all live forever. Eventually, my body will give out and I'll die."

"Oh I know that," she sighed. "I know that there isn't some special elixir that we can all take in order to become immortal, I know that, Jacob. My point was, that I've already had to bury one man that I love in my life when I buried my husband," she said. Mary rarely spoke of the years when she was married to Gerald Buckner. Father knew little about them, except that he had died a long and slow death. "And I know that, sooner or later, you too will depart us. I'm just saying that I hope it's later, rather sooner."

Jacob smiled softly at her. "Mary, you are a very important part of my life and I have loved you for many a year. Yet I was worried to display my feelings for you because I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable and pull away. Deep in my heart, I know that it would be easier to have you in my life as my good friend, than to embarrass you and not have you in my life at all."

Mary took a deep breath and looked at him, "So what happens now? What do we do from here?"

"Well, I know what I would like to do," he said, "but I'm not sure if you are ready for it."

The woman looked at him quizzically, "What is that?"

Jacob smiled at her, "Well, ordinarily a man would get down on a knee and do this, but given the fact that my knees are unpredictable, I hope you'll forgive me this. Mary, I want to marry you. I want you to be my wife and my partner."

Mary looked at him, speechless, "Jacob, I would love nothing more, however, how can we do that? We would have to go above to make it legal and our loved ones would not be there to witness it."

"Legal in whose eyes, Mary?" Jacob asked, "The government's? We have our own government down here. We both know that we will wish to live down here until the end of our times, with those we love. With our children, our brothers, our sisters..."

"Who would perform the ceremony?"

"We can ask Vincent. Or, if you'd like it more official, we can ask Catherine." he suggested.

Mary nodded and smiled, "I think that would be lovely. Do you think she'll do it?"

Jacob nodded confidently, "I think she would be pleased to."

The woman's smile widened as she leaned in and hugged him, "Oh, Jacob, I'm so happy."

The man held the woman close to him as he pressed his lips into her hair, "Not nearly as happy as I am, my love," he whispered softly into her ear.


	4. Chapter 4

4/

The following day, Joe and Lauren didn't say anything when Catherine lead them through Central Park in the dark. Once they got towards the tunnel entrance, Catherine turned and broke the silence, "This is one of the entrances. You'll need to watch your step though because it's also a drain and there may be some water on the floor of it." Joe stood silent as he watched his friend--a woman whom he thought he knew fairly well, but clearly was way off base--walked over to the tunnel and opened a gate that appeared to be welded shut. Smiling at her boss and his sister, she stepped aside and let the two come in first, "Right this way," she instructed. Once the trio were in, Catherine closed the door, the latch catching loudly.

Joe cleared this throat, "Radcliffe, how do you know there aren't derelicts in here?"

Catherine smiled as she lead them through the tunnel, "If there were derelicts, Joe, than Father would have had this sealed up and isolated from everybody until they left. It's perfectly safe, I assure you." She gave her boss a small grin, "Just wait till you see the wind chamber and the spiral staircase."

Lauren blinked as she tried to take everything in, "Spiral staircase?"

The other woman smiled reassuringly, "It's safe, I promise you. It's just very steep and there aren't any guard rails so you'll have to be careful." Catherine stopped speaking when she saw a shadowy figure in the distance. Her eyes tracing his broad shape, she smiled brightly, "It's Vincent." Quickening her pace, she went over and hugged him tightly, giving him a gentle kiss, "This is a nice surprise."

Vincent smiled at Catherine and nodded his head simply, "I thought that perhaps I may be of assistance with any bags that Miss Maxwell may be bringing." Breaking his gaze on Catherine, he walked over to Joe and extended a hand, "Catherine speaks very highly of you."

Joe stood before Vincent, dumbfounded. He wasn't shocked at his appearance, Catherine's drawing had prepared him for physical nature that was Vincent. What took him aback was Vincent's sheer size in comparison to Catherine. He was a mountain of a man, Joe determined. His legs were long and muscular, far more muscular than Joe had seen on any man while he exercised in his gym. Looking at his arms, it was easy for Joe to see that they were equally as long... and his hands... Joe was certain that those hands could crush a skull if intended. He swallowed hard as he kept his eyes on Vincent's outstretched hand and summoned his own strength to reach his hand out and shake it, stammering as he spoke, "Joe Maxwell."

Catherine grinned. Seeing her boss at a loss for words was rare. "He's not going to maul you, Joe."

Vincent chuckled softly, which allowed Joe to chuckle as well. His face softening, Vincent turned and looked at Lauren and walked over to her, speaking softly, "We are all heartbroken over the atrocity that you suffered," he said, "I do hope that you will be able to heal amongst your new friends and that you will learn to live your life without fear. My father and I extend our most heartfelt welcome to you and ask that if you ever find that you need or want something... anything... than to please let us know and we will see that you have it."

Lauren bit her bottom lip for a moment before nodding, a tear in her eye, whispering softly, "Thank you, Vincent."

"You're welcome," he replied before reaching down and picking up the woman's bags. Though Catherine had already moved most of her things down Below the previous night and that morning, Lauren still had two suitcases containing the clothes that she wore when she was brought in, as well as various other 'get well' trinkets that friends and family had either given or sent her.

Joe followed his sister as Catherine and Vincent lead them into the community room where everybody was gathered to welcome Lauren. Deciding to show Lauren and Joe that the tunnels can indeed be very beautiful, Vincent lead the two through the Great Hall, a place that was sealed throughout the year, with the exception of during Winterfest. "We use this hall for our Winterfest events," Vincent explained.

"What is Winterfest?" Lauren asked curiously.

Vincent turned and looked at her, "A week long celebration that starts on February 7th and lasts through February 15th. There is music, stories, dances, feasts... it's a celebration of love and family. We make gifts for our loved ones during the year and during Winterfest, we exchange those gifts." He smiled quietly, "It's our version of Christmas and Hanukkah."

"It sounds exhilarating," she remarked.

"It is," Catherine confirmed with a smile. "It's a very romantic time too. Everybody gets together and decorates the Great Hall with candles and flowers. It's a lot of fun."

Lauren smiled softly, "I hope to some day be able to attend."

"You will," Vincent promised and then looked at Joe, "and of course, the invitation will extend to you as well."

Joe smiled and nodded, "I appreciate that."

The other man nodded as he slipped his hand around Catherine and continued to lead Lauren and Joe to the community room. Once they arrived, the Maxwell siblings were taken aback by the grandeur of everything, particularly with the fashion of clothing... more of a Renaissance theme than modern, made of fabrics that boasted durability and practicality, in addition to sheer beauty. Moments after their arrival, a man came over, a cane in his right hand. Smiling softly, he extended a hand to Lauren, "Jacob Wells," he introduced.

Lauren nodded and smiled softly, extending her own hand to the older man, "Lauren Maxwell."

Father nodded as he continued to smile, "Well, Lauren, welcome... and please, let's just squash two birds with one stone now... I am not Mr. Wells, nor am I 'sir'... You may call me Father as everybody else does. Or, if you aren't comfortable with that title, than you may call me Jacob."

Lauren nodded again, "I think I can get used to 'Father'." she said quietly.

Catherine cleared her throat softly before stepping over and hugging Father, kissing his cheek softly, "Father, this is my dear friend, Joe Maxwell. He's Lauren's older," she paused as she gave a wink and a grin to Joe, "her *much* older brother."

Everybody assembled in the room chuckled at Catherine's playful teasing, meanwhile Joe only rolled his eyes, "I love you too, Cathy, thanks." He laughed softly as he extended a hand to Father, "Cathy has told me that you are a very good and wise man. I appreciate all that you are doing for my sister."

Father nodded thoughtfully as he shook Joe's hand, "It is our pleasure, Mr. Maxwell."

"Please, call me Joe."

The other man simply smiled quietly. "Mary will show your sister to the guest chamber if you wish to follow them."

At hearing her name, Mary slipped over and smiled softly at Lauren, "Come along, sweetheart," she said tenderly as she lead her to the guest chamber.

Unsure of what to do, Joe simply followed as Vincent took up the rear, still carrying Lauren's bags. Once they were alone, Father walked over to Catherine and took both of her hands in his, "Catherine, I was wondering if I may have a moment of your time, please."

Catherine smiled at Father and then nodded, "Of course, Father."

Still holding one hand, Father lead Catherine to a secluded part of the chamber and sat down. Once the woman was seated as well, he smiled at her, "Mary and I have a favor to ask of you."

The attorney nodded, "What can I do?"

Wearing a bright smile, Father announced, "I've asked Mary to be my wife. She and I would like to be married down here, that way Vincent and the others can be in attendance. We both have discussed it and would like for you to officiate."

Catherine looked at Father, her eyes wide with excitement. Unable to help herself, she let out a girlish giggle as she reached forward and hugged him tight, "Oh, Father, this is wonderful news, congratulations."

The older man chuckled softly as he hugged her back, "So you'll do it?"

Pulling back, the woman looked at him, "Well, I would love to, but I'm afraid that I don't have the credentials. It wouldn't be valid."

"It would be valid down here, Catherine," he said, "and that's all that matters to Mary and myself."

Catherine nodded as she smiled, "Than I'd be honored."

"Excellent! I can't tell you how pleased that makes me."

Unable to rid herself of the smile, she asked, "Have you told Vincent yet?"

"No," Father said, "you are the only one we've told thus far. It all just happened within the hour." Thinking about the past hour, Father couldn't help but chuckle.

Catherine continued to smile, "Well, than you best start spreading the news, because I'm horrible when it comes to keeping a secret."

The man laughed as he nodded, "Good idea. Come," he said, leading her by the elbow, "I'll find Mary and then we can congregate everybody into the common chamber."

The woman followed him, "I'll meet you there. I want to make sure that Lauren is getting settled in."

Father nodded as he and Catherine parted ways, each heading to a different destination.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"I'm scared."

Joe Maxwell looked at his younger sister as she was seated on the edge of the bed. It had been a few moments since Vincent and Mary had left them and in the stillness of the room, Lauren went silent as she unpacked her belongings and attempted to make her new home just that... a home.

Sitting down next to her, he let out a heavy sigh, "You ready to talk about it?"

The younger brunette shook her hair as she kept her warm chocolate eyes focused on her hands. Nodding, Joe tried a different approach, "At the very least, kiddo, give me the guy's name. That way we can have something to start with."

Lauren sighed herself as she kept her gaze on her hands, "Travis Banks," she said quietly. "He's a commodities trader on Wall Street." Joe nodded in silence, not wanting to interrupt, wanting to see how much information Lauren would volunteer. "Maureen had said she'd known him for a while."

"How long is 'a while'?" Joe asked quietly.

The young woman sighed as she ran a hand through her hair, "I don't know," she admitted quietly.

"Okay," he said softly, "continue please."

Lauren nodded, "Maureen came to me, so excited, telling me that she had my 'Mr. Wonderful'. She said that he was perfect for me... said that he was smart, successful, handsome, funny... she made him out to be a real dreamboat. She then told me that everybody was meeting at the Twenty-One club for drinks and that Travis would be there. She wanted me to come, and she asked me to wear something really hot." Joe nodded in silence as he took mental notes. Lauren continued, "Drinks were a disaster. Everybody got toasted and all I wanted to do was just leave and go home, but Maureen was my ride, so I had to stick it out. I was smart though, I drank mostly coke."

"What did Travis have?"

"What didn't he have? I think he ordered one of everything and he even wanted to do body shots off me." She sighed quietly, "I finally grew tired of the bullshit and so I told everybody that I was bailing and that I would just call a cab."

"Why didn't you call me?" Joe asked softly, "I would have come and picked you up and brought you home."

"Because I knew that you were swamped with some big case."

Maxwell sighed quietly, "Lauren, there isn't a case in this world big enough to prevent me from helping you out. If I were prosecuting the entire Republican party for crimes against humanity, I would still take the time to help my sister out. You ought to know that."

She couldn't help but chuckle quietly, "I know. But I didn't want to bother you."

Joe leaned in and kissed her temple softly and then saw her stifle a yawn, "When did you last sleep?"

"What day is it?"

"Tuesday."

Lauren nodded, "It's been a week."

"Okay," he stood up and helped her up as well. Pulling the blankets off, he looked at his sister, "I want you to lay down and rest and get some good, solid sleep. You need it."

Lauren looked down at the crisp white sheets with lace edges, "I wonder where they got these," she mused softly.

Joe reached down and gently fingered the tip of the lace, "Who knows," he said, "but they are pretty."

She nodded as she slowly slipped down into the bed, surprised at how comfortable it was. Exhaling, she allowed her eyes to close and within seconds, she was asleep.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Catherine found Vincent leaning against the wall outside of Lauren's room. Smiling, she went over and gave him a hug and then looked up at his face and softly kissed him, "Thank you for helping Lauren get settled."

Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, Vincent smiled down at her softly, "It was my pleasure," he said. "I was waiting to help Joe find his way out so he didn't get lost."

The woman nodded as she gave him a soft smile, "That was sweet of you."

"I was hoping," he said, "that perhaps you'd consider staying down here tonight... with me. Perhaps we could read some more Dickens."

"Among other things?" Catherine asked, grinning a little.

Vincent blushed a little and then nodded his affirmation, "Yes," he said, "among other things."

She laughed softly and nodded, kissing him again, "I would love that. I just spoke with Father... he's calling a meeting tonight in the common chamber."

Vincent looked at her quizzically, "Do you know what it is about?" he asked, a little surprised that Catherine would know before he did.

"I do," she said, "but I've been sworn to secrecy."

He groaned inwardly, "I hate secrets."

"Do you?" Catherine asked, surprised. "I thought you loved a good mystery."

"Mysteries, yes," Vincent said, "but mysteries are much different than secrets."

"I suppose you are right," she said and then kissed the corner of his mouth, "but I'm still keeping my secret."

Vincent sighed, knowing he wouldn't get it out of her, "Than I suppose," he said, very slowly, "that I will have to use other methods of persuasion to get it out of you."

Catherine laughed, "What other methods of persuasion are you thinking of?"

Vincent grinned as he glanced around and spotted Pascal, "Pascal? Would you do me a favor please?"

Pascal walked over to them and then smiled in greeting at Catherine before turning to Vincent, "What is it?"

"Catherine's friend is in there. When he comes out, would you please escort him to the Central Park exit?"

Pascal looked at his friend for a moment and then nodded, "Sure, Vincent."

Vincent smiled softly in gratitude as he took Catherine's hand and whisked her off to his chambers, to display his other 'methods of persuasion'.


	5. Chapter 5

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: Someone sent me a review of my previous chapter, but I was unable to respond to it, due to the fact that they don't have a account. I never once said that this story takes place during the late 80s-early 90s. It would be impossible for me to write it without the modern conveniences of the past twenty years, IE., the internet for one. There is no timeline in the story, so Joe's ranting about the republican party committing crimes against humanity in the previous chapter could be relevant to both the 80s and the recent years. The show never went into the political preferences of the characters of the show and since I am a staunch Democrat, the characters in the story are as well. On another topic, I dedicate this chapter with respect and admiration to the late and great Farrah Fawcett. It will appear why towards the end of the chapter. Thanks to my 'fans' and please keep reading and reviewing, Friends!

~Mackenzie

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

5/

The Great Hall was bubbling with quiet murmurs. Everybody was conversing quietly with one another when Father came into the Hall, all smiles, Mary flanked on his arm. Clearing his throat quietly, his normally quiet voice boomed into the room, "Loved ones, may I have your attention please?"

A hush fell across the room as everybody turned to face him. Father was smiling brightly as he instinctively took Mary's hand. "Mary and I have an announcement," he began, "this fall, we will be embarking on a new and exciting journey. I have proposed marriage to Mary and she has accepted."

Cries of happiness and joy erupted in the room and Vincent turned and looked at Catherine, who was beaming from ear to ear. "This was the secret you knew," he said.

Catherine grinned at him and nodded, "Believe me, I wanted to tell you so badly," she said, "but Father made me promise not to say anything." Pausing, she looked at him, "Are you angry?"

Vincent took a deep breath and then shook his head no, "No, on the contrary. I'm delighted for Father and for Mary. It has been a long time coming and both deserve love and happiness. I only hope that Father is half as happy with Mary as I am with you."

She blushed a little as a shadow of a smile crept onto her face, "Father asked me to officiate the ceremony... they want to do it down below... so that you may attend."

Vincent smiled quietly as he bowed his head once, "I am honored and I eagerly anticipate hearing your words. If I know you, you will make it a very beautiful ceremony."

Catherine smiled quietly as she gently fingered the edge of Vincent's shirt, "It will be easy to speak of love," she said, "I'll have inspiration."

He nodded his head at her and then leaned down and brushed his lips over hers, "I love you so very much."

The woman smiled quietly, "And I you."

Vincent wrapped his arms around her as the two basked in the overwhelming love that filled the air.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Joe sighed heavily as he sat behind his desk in his office. Leaving Lauren down below was a difficult decision. He felt as if he had left his child down there. Taking another deep breath, the attorney also knew that it was the only place that she would be safe, and he knew that she truly would be safe and that everybody down there would protect her as if she were one of them.

Hearing someone enter his office, Maxwell set his pen down and glanced up. "Oh," he said, when he saw the cleaning lady, "hey Carly. Just work around me if you can, please, I'm up to my ears in this."

The twenty-something woman nodded as she brought her cart in, "I'm sorry to disturb you, Mr. Maxwell, I didn't realize that anybody was still here. I thought everybody had left for the night."

Joe smiled quietly at her, "I did leave, but then I came back. I feel a little like Michael Corleone in the Godfather movies... Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."

Carly laughed softly, "God, I haven't seen those movies in ages. I used to have such a crush on Pacino... and Brando."

The man chuckled, "Is there anybody you don't have a crush on?"

The woman rolled her eyes as she emptied his trash, "Yeah, yeah, yuck it up. By December I'll be battling for your job."

Joe looked at her, grinning, "You get to graduate early?"

Carly grinned back at him. The two had struck up a friendship one late Saturday night when Joe had went to the law library and found the girl hard at work, her nose buried in a book, as she struggled with a certain aspect of the law. Striking up a conversation, Maxwell learned that she was putting herself through law school at night while working two jobs. Joe couldn't help but have a tremendous amount of respect for that, "The dean approved it last week. I just need to wrap up a few loose ends and grab another two credits and then it's spending the rest of my life studying for the bar exam."

He laughed at her as he nodded, remembering his own days spent studying for the test, "Well, if you need any help at all, Carly, don't hesitate. I'll even speak with Moreno and see about maybe getting you a paid apprenticeship or something and you can work with me, that way you won't have to clean the offices. It'd be good for you to actually get your feet wet legally than dust desks anyway."

She smiled at him widely, "Oh, Mr. Maxwell, I would love that. It'd give me a chance to spend more time with my little girl too."

Joe smiled at her softly, "I didn't know you had a daughter."

Carly nodded, "Her name is Grace... she's four."

"Does her father watch her when you are working and going to school?"

The woman shook her head and sighed deeply, "No, he skipped town about a nanosecond after finding out I was pregnant. I haven't seen or heard from him since."

Joe clenched his jaw, he couldn't stand guys who got girls pregnant and then didn't stick around to help out. "So who baby-sits her for you?" He quickly held a hand up, "Forget I asked," he said, "It's none of my business. I'm sorry for interrogating you on your personal life."

Carly laughed softly and shook her head, "No, no, it's fine, really. I actually am staying with my mother and she keeps an eye on her for me. It's kind of a win-win for us both. Ever since my dad died, mom has hated living alone and has been begging us kids to move in with her. When I found out I was pregnant with Grace, it seemed logical, especially when Jeremy bailed. It's actually been wonderful. Grace gets to see her grandmother all the time."

Maxwell continued to smile at her, mesmerized by her beauty. It struck him odd, considering that he had seen her nearly every day, he certainly knew what she looked like. It wasn't as if she covered her face with a mask. Yet here she was, seated across from him, smiling at him. His eyes took in her blonde hair and her blue eyes, her perfect white teeth. "You look like Farrah Fawcett."

Carly blushed crimson as she averted her eyes shyly. Unable to find anything else to say, she, stupidly in her own mind, said, "I'm sorry."

"Don't," Joe grinned, "I had a mega crush on her in the seventies. Her poster adorned my wall while I was in college."

The blonde couldn't help but grin at him as she tipped her face up to look at him, "You and every other guy on the planet."

The man laughed softly as he glanced at his clock and saw that it was already after eight. "Listen, I don't know about you, but I'm famished. Let me buy you dinner."

Carly glanced at her watch and then stood up, "Can I finish cleaning your office? It's the last one left."

"Nope," Joe said as he stood up, "your shift is over. Your work is done. Leave everything exactly as it is in here. That way I can jump back in in the morning."

She laughed quietly, "Well can I at least change my clothes? I keep a set in my car."

He looked at her, a brow arched, "You keep a spare set of clothes in your car?"

Carly nodded, grinning a little, "A girl never knows when an attractive man will ask her to dinner."

Joe smiled at her and nodded, "Alright, but you got ten minutes."

She nodded as she started scrambling out of his office, eagerly anticipating the coming night.


End file.
